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"Her attention to detail is second to none. In a particularly complex case, she was able to grasp both the key details and the minutiae with ease and her intricate knowledge of the matter really impressed the client."

Chambers & Partners 2020

"Remains calm and collected in the most pressurised of situations and thinks very quickly on her feet."

Legal 500 2020

"She is the type of barrister solicitors dream of being able to instruct."

Jennifer Lee is a specialist family law practitioner. She has a thriving practice in the area of family finance, and has successfully represented high net worth clients in cases involving family businesses, inherited wealth, substantial pensions, nuptial agreements, and trusts. Many of her cases also involve foreign assets and cross-jurisdictional issues, such as the validity or otherwise of an overseas marriage or divorce, or competing claims in multiple jurisdictions (including cases pertaining to Asia and Africa).

Jennifer is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (ACIArb), the Family Law Bar Association (FLBA), and Resolution. She has recently been appointed to sit on Resolution’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Jennifer is an active member of Chambers, and sits on the Family Team Action Committee, the Marketing Committee, and the Pupillage & Tenancy Committee (with a portfolio for pupillages). She regularly presents seminars on family law, and contributes to various publications on topical matters.

Directory Testimonials

“Remains calm and collected in the most pressurised of situations and thinks very quickly on her feet.” The Legal 500 (2019/2020).

“Her attention to detail is second to none. In a particularly complex case, she was able to grasp both the key details and the minutiae with ease and her intricate knowledge of the matter really impressed the client.” Chambers & Partners (UK Bar) – Family/Matrimonial (2019/2020)

“She has an incredibly sharp and fast brain, and secured a fantastic outcome that I don’t think would have been achieved without her on the team.” Chambers & Partners (UK Bar) – Family/Matrimonial (2019/2020)

“She is the type of barrister solicitors dream of being able to instruct.” The Legal 500 (2018/2019)

Selected Cases

O v O (2018)

Successfully represented the wife in a highly acrimonious family finance case, where the husband had failed to provide full and frank disclosure, and had been highly abusive/threatening to the wife and her solicitors. The parties were both well-regarded professionals; the husband was the CEO of an international company and historically earned six figure sums.

O v M (2018)

Successfully represented the respondent in contested divorce proceedings involving the validity or otherwise of an overseas marriage and divorce. Two experts, involving a silk, were instructed. The petition was successfully struck out, with costs awarded to the respondent.

I v I (2017/18)

Successfully represented the husband in an unusual case with assets of at least £1.5M, including an extensive home with 25 acres of land, and a family agricultural business. The husband also owned valuable eventing horses, one of which may be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. The marriage was short, but extremely volatile. The wife was abusive to the husband, causing him to suffer severe mental health difficulties. She also spent excessively and incurred significant debts post separation.

LFL v LSL (McKenzie Friends & Breach of Court Orders) [2017] EWFC B62

Reported Judgment – successfully represented the wife in financial remedy proceedings involving an obstructive McKenzie Friend, where the main assets were situated abroad.

H v H (2017)

Successfully represented the husband in a case where the wife came from a fabulously wealthy family. Her father was the heir to a banking fortune and had been incredibly generous to her, gifting her property and significant sums of money. He had also funded luxurious holidays for the family. In assessing the husband’s award, the Court rejected the wife’s assertions that she had limited funds and that her family’s vast wealth should be ignored.

Veluppillai v Veluppillai & Ors [2015] EWHC 3095 (Fam)

Reported Judgment – successfully represented the wife in protracted and highly acrimonious financial remedy proceedings worth £1.4M, in which the husband’s abysmal conduct was strongly criticised by the High Court.

B v B - IFLA Arbitration (2014)

Successfully represented the husband in a complex, two-day matrimonial finance arbitration conducted under the IFLA Scheme. The parties were French and Korean, and owned properties in the UK and in foreign jurisdictions.

S v S (2014)

Achieved an excellent result for a client in financial remedy proceedings, which involved substantial pensions, and issues of lack of disclosure of assets in the UK and abroad. A costs order was made against the other party.

C v C (2013)

Achieved an excellent result for the Respondent Husband in high-value financial remedy proceedings. The client was able to retain the home and family business.

Jennifer is regularly instructed in complex children law matters involving child arrangement disputes, internal and international relocation cases, and in Hague Convention cases. She has experience of representing parties in proceedings involving serious physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse, and parental alienation. Over the years, Jennifer has also developed a specialism in cases concerning domestic/international surrogacy and modern families, having acted for commissioning parents in Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act cases, and advising on legal issues surrounding LGBT families. Jennifer continues to be ranked as a “Leading Junior (Tier 1) – Family and Children Law” in The Legal 500, and is recognised as a specialist in family/matrimonial law in Chambers & Partners (UK Bar). She was also nominated as “Junior Barrister of the Year” for the Jordans’ Family Law Awards 2016.

Selected Cases

RBW & M v T & T [2015] EWFC B191

Represented a party in a complex, non-accidental head injury case, where a young child sustained a skull fracture.

H & H v A (2014)

Successfully represented commissioning parents in an international surrogacy case, in respect of their application for a parental order for their child, who had been conceived via IVF and carried by a surrogate who lived in Europe.

B&W v A (2013)

Provided advice to commissioning parents in respect of their proposed surrogacy arrangement with an IVF clinic and surrogate in India.

BCC v S & R (2012)

Represented the Father in contested care proceedings, successfully argued that the child should remain with his birth family.

B v R & B (2012)

Successfully represented the Mother in a complex contact dispute, where the Father was serving a lengthy custodial sentence for GBH against the Mother’s long-term partner.

H v C (2011)

Represented Mother in family proceedings where child reluctant to have contact with Father, who was epileptic and had severe mental health issues.

C v C (2011)

Represented Mother in wardship proceedings involving children who had been removed from the jurisdiction.

Jennifer’s experience in family law and her interest in issues relating to vulnerable persons have served to reinforce her Court of Protection practice. She has appeared in the CoP in cases involving applications for deputyship for personal welfare, and for property and affairs. She has also been instructed in difficult cases concerning issues of deprivation of liberty, and in urgent cases involving life-threatening illnesses, where important decisions had to be made in relation to medical treatment and financial arrangements for the protected person (“P”). She acted for the successful applicant in DB v DW [2015] EWCOP 16, which involved competing applications for deputyship for property and affairs. Jennifer now leads the Court of Protection Team in Chambers with Leslie Samuels QC.

Selected Cases

DB v DW [2015] EWCOP 16

Represented an applicant in a case involving competing applications for deputyship for property and affairs.

Re H (2014)

Successful represented the applicant in the Court of Protection, where orders were made for his appointment as deputy for personal welfare and property.

Jennifer retains a niche practice in commercial matters, as an adjunct to her family finance practice. She gained considerable experience of commercial arbitration during her pupillage, and has successfully represented clients in contractual and building/construction disputes. Her clients ranged from individuals and small/medium sized businesses, to companies on the FTSE 100 and multinationals.

Selected Cases

O'Brien v Cockle (2014)

Successfully obtained Judgment of over £100K plus costs in the Commercial Court (High Court, QBD) in respect of a breach of contract claim involving the purchase of shares in another country.

Re O (2013)

Provided advice to clients involved in an international sales share dispute worth approximately US$2M.

S v T & M (2013)

Provided advice to an international oil/gas company on a potential breach of contract claim and wrongful interference with goods, with a value of approximately £4M.

Re Rafferty(2013)

Successfully represented a medium sized business trading in laboratory equipment in a breach of contract claim against a supplier.

Re Marshalls (2012)

Successfully represented a building contractor in a high value multi-track claim, with significant costs implications.

Word Ministries v Marsden Weighing Group (2011)

Successfully applied for summary judgment in a dispute about a right to purchase agreement, enabling the client to retain profits in excess of £30K.

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